By Abdullahi Yusuf

1. NAHCON officially concludes 2025 Hajj return operations as the final flight lands in Kaduna at 10:30 a.m. with 89 pilgrims (88 from Kaduna, 1 from Katsina). Return airlift spanned 20 days, from June 13 to July 2. Chairman Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman thanked all stakeholders and urged pilgrims to continue praying for Nigeria.

2. Final Nigerian return flight (UMZA UY3479) carried 89 pilgrims and 8 officials. Total airlift: 41,291 pilgrims across 101 flights.

3. Max Air Flight NGL267 departed Jeddah to Kano via Katsina at 07:13hrs with 328 pilgrims and 26 officials. Katsina – 268, Kano – 60.

4. Max Air Flight NGL2026 departed Jeddah to Katsina at 02:32hrs with 542 pilgrims and 5 officials.

5. On 1 July, UMZA Flight UY3552departed Jeddah to Kaduna at 20:42hrs with 478 pilgrims and 2 officials.

6. On 1 July, UMZA Flight UY3469departed Jeddah to Kaduna at 14:48hrs with 306 pilgrims and 6 officials.

7. On 1 July, Air Peace Flight APK7929departed Jeddah to Port Harcourt via Abuja at 13:11hrs with 298 pilgrims and 12 officials. • Distribution: Enugu – 24, Rivers – 68, Kwara – 1, Abia – 1, Benue – 119, Delta – 26, Cross River – 21, Imo – 1, Ebonyi – 34, Armed Forces – 3.

8. Over 190,000 Umrah visas issuedglobally via Nusuk platform since June 10. The app allows pilgrims to book permits and access digital services under Saudi Vision 2030.

9. Hajj and Umrah Tour Operators of Nigeria President Alh. Suleiman Awwalcalls for early planning for Hajj 2026 to avoid challenges. He praised improvements, especially in Mina, and urged closer coordination with NAHCON and Saudi partners.

10. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed received the UAE Pilgrims’ Affairs Office in Abu Dhabi. He commended their efforts during Hajj 2025 and discussed plans to enhance pilgrim services for coming years.

11. Did you know? The final return flights are often scheduled to minimize overlap with new Umrah entries and Saudi post-Hajj clean-up.

12. Did you know? Each Hajj return flight from Saudi Arabia takes between 5.5 to 7 hours, depending on the Nigerian destination and routing.

13. Did you know? The final airlift is often reserved for state contingents that arrived latest during the outbound Hajj phase or opted for extended stays.

14. Fun fact: Pilgrims on final flights are usually among those who performed the last batches of Rami (stoning) and Tawaf al-Wida (farewell Tawaf).

15. Did you know? Nigeria’s last set of pilgrims left from Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, utilizing the exclusive Hajj Terminal.

16. Fun fact: Final-day airlift pilgrims are often gifted travel packs with water, snacks, Zamzam, and du’a cards by their state boards.

17. Fun fact: Nigerian Hajj officials and state board chairmen usually hold farewell debriefs at the departure lounges before the last airlifts.

18. Did you know? NAHCON’s Monitoring Team ensures that pilgrims don’t exceed baggage limits, which are strictly enforced on return flights.

19. Did you know? Being on the final airliftdoesn’t reduce the reward of Hajj rather, it allows pilgrims extra time in the holy land for ibadah.